Our Team

Susan has been in private practice for over ten years in the Bay Area. She is a graduate from Eastern Illinois University and received a Master of Science degree in Communication Disorders from Texas Tech. Susan has expertise in the management of neurological communication disorders and language learning disorders with extensive experience as a speech/language pathologist in hospitals, medical facilities, special education settings, and home health care.

Jill received her Master of Science degree in Education with an emphasis in Communication Disorders from The College of Saint Rose in New York. Her work experience includes communication disorders associated with autism spectrum disorders, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, developmental verbal apraxia, and central auditory processing disorders. Her advanced training includes Hanen, "It Takes Two to Talk" and the PROMPT therapy method. Her other areas of interest include social-pragmatic disorders and early intervention services with an emphasis on parent/caregiver training. Jill is also educated in DIR/Floortime Method.
In July 2014 Jill Walson has been named New Director of Clinics for the Speech Pathology Group.
Click here to read press realease.

Pamela received her Master of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders from San Francisco State University. Since joining the SPG team in 2000, Pamela's clinical experience has included assessment and treatment for a range of pediatric clients, particularly preschool and school-aged children with expressive/receptive/social-pragmatic language delays, and articulation/phonological/motor speech disorders. Pamela is trained in the PROMPT technique, and has expertise and strong interest in treating Childhood Apraxia of Speech. She particularly enjoys providing play-based therapy and family support to the 0-3 year old population, working with caregivers to help make communication functional within daily interactions with their child. Pamela has extensive experience working with both verbal and preverbal children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and has more recently developed a special interest in Selective Mutism in early elementary school-aged children. For a number of years, Pamela wrote articles for SPG's newsletter "Conversations," which reaches families and professionals in our community. She works out of both our Walnut Creek and Berkeley Clinics.

Kate received her Master of Science degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from the University of Texas in Dallas, Texas. She has experience working directly with clients and their families in their natural environment and implementing appropriate home exercise programs to facilitate carryover and generalize learning. She had the opportunity to work in a clinic which specialized in childhood apraxia of speech. Particular areas of interest include: early intervention (ages 0-3), bilingual therapy services, speech delay, articulation/phonological disorders, cochlear implant, apraxia, and autism spectrum disorders. Kate often uses oral motor techniques during therapy and home exercise programs.

Colleen received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from California State University, Sacramento and her Master of Science Degree in Communicative Disorders from San Francisco State University. She has had experience in assessment and therapy services for the pediatric population in the public school (K-5) and clinic environments. She has also provided assessment and therapy for adults in hospital and clinic settings. Her interests lie in expressive and receptive language delays, apraxia, phonological and articulation disorders, and auditory processing disorders in children. She is currently co-leading a teenage social pragmatic group, which she enjoys at SPG. She also has a strong interest in providing diagnostic and therapeutic services to adults with aphasia and neurological impairments.

Phuong received her Master of Sciences degree in Communicative Disorders from the University of Redlands in 2009. She has experience working in a variety of environments as a speech-language pathologist from skilled nursing facilities, acute hospitals, long term acute rehabilitation facilities focusing on traumatic brain injuries, early intervention centers, and preschool to high school. Special interests include: early intervention, adult rehabilitation following strokes and other brain injuries, cognitive therapy, expressive/receptive language delays, and social-pragmatic disorders. She is certified in the Hanen "More than Words" program and enjoys working closely with parents, caregivers, teachers, and others who are involved in a client's development of speech-language disorders.

Shelley received Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology at University of the Pacific in 2006. She has experience working with children and adults in a variety of settings, such as acute care, acute rehabilitation, early intervention multidisciplinary clinic, deaf and hard-of-hearing preschool, and elementary school-based settings. She holds certifications in LSVT-LOUD (evidence-based speech treatment for patients with Parkinsonian diseases), Vital Stim (specialized therapy for swallowing disorders), and Hanen "It Takes Two to Talk" (parent partnership and education provider for families with young children with communication delays). She has experience with children and adults with swallowing/feeding disorders due to neurological insults and diseases, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, as well as children with articulation/phonology disorders and language delays. She especially enjoys working with very young children and their families, as well as being part of multidisciplinary teams.

Rachael received a Master of Arts Degree in Communication Disorders and Sciences from San Jose State University, and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Child Development from California State University, Sacramento. Her focus has been in working with the pediatric population, with the majority of her experience in early intervention (children ages 0-3). Rachael has conducted diagnostic evaluations and provided therapeutic interventions to children with language delays and disorders, speech/articulation delays, pragmatic/social difficulties, and preverbal children who benefit from Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC). She has a passion for working with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, and is also interested in motor speech disorders. Rachael especially enjoys working closely with parents/caregivers to support them in helping their children become successful communicators.

Mallory received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders from Indiana University and a Master of Arts Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Memphis. She has had experience in providing assessments and treatment across the lifespan from early intervention to geriatrics. She has provided these services in acute hospitals, outpatient rehabilitation units, private practices, a school where the primary mode of communication was through Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and home health. Her focus has been in working with the pediatric population, particularly children between the ages of birth-3 years of age. Her primary interests include pragmatics/social skills, expressive and receptive language delays, and language based learning disabilities. She enjoys collaborating with family members in order to assist in carryover of skills to the natural environment.

Terra received her Bachelor of Science in Speech and Hearing Sciences from Portland State University and her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from California State University, East Bay. She has experience providing treatment for children with speech/phonological delays, apraxia of speech, expressive and receptive language disorders, cleft palate, and difficulty with social language skills. Terra has a special interest in early intervention, auditory processing disorders and language-based reading and writing challenges. She is Hanen certified and values the collaboration with caregivers and other related professionals on each team. Creating a positive and supportive environment where kids enjoy learning is at the forefront of her therapy model.

Arezu received a Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology from California State East Bay in 2004, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition Science from University of California at Davis. She has extensive experience working with the pediatric population, in settings ranging from preschool through elementary school as well as clinical, hospital and homes. Arezu focused her work on pediatric communication disorders, with a heavy focus on early intervention for children 0-5 on the Autism Spectrum as well as those with speech, language and/or overall developmental delays. She enjoys working with families and creating a team approach in providing therapy to build, develop, enhance and generalize across environments.

Aamani received her Master of Science Degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Loma Linda University in southern California, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Economics from the University of Pennsylvania. She has worked in a variety of settings including schools, clinics, head-starts, and hospitals, but is especially passionate about family-centered and collaborative intervention in the clinic. Her areas of interest include school-aged speech and language disorders, early intervention for speech and language development, reading and writing foundations, fluency, and voice. Aamani is also interested in volunteering her speech and language knowledge in under-served countries. She was part of speech and language service trip by Loma Linda University to a pediatric hospital in Hangzhou, China, and she currently volunteers as a speech and language consultant to teachers and professionals at a special needs school in Mumbai, India.

Molly received her Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 2013. She has had clinical experiences providing prevention, treatment and assessment services for a pediatric population in school, clinic, daycare and home settings. Molly is proficient in Spanish and has provided speech-language services for children who speak English, Spanish or both languages. Her specific clinical interests include bilingual speech-language development, articulation/phonological processing disorders, early intervention and parent training and support.

Alissa received her Bachelor of Science degree in Speech and Hearing Science from the University of Illinois and her Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Illinois University. Her experience includes assessment and treatment in school, home, and clinic-based settings with the pediatric population. Special interests include AAC, apraxia, receptive/expressive language delays, and social/pragmatic language disorders. Alissa is proficient in Spanish and spent a portion of 2013 volunteering as an English instructor in Costa Rica. She enjoys working with children presenting with complex communication needs and working with families to create strategies for use in the home that encourage speech and language development in typical day-to-day activities.

Megan received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Linguistics-Psychology from UCLA and her Master of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology from California State University, East Bay. She has had experience providing assessment and intervention services for the pediatric population in the clinic and public school (TK-5) environments, as well as for adults in the clinic and acute rehabilitation settings. Her clinical interests include social/pragmatic disorders, cognitive-communication impairments, early intervention, language delays, and communication disorders associated with stroke and traumatic brain injury. She believes in making therapy functional and enjoys collaborating with caregivers and other professionals to facilitate carryover into natural environments.